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SpaceX calls off launch of satellites

Posted on Monday, December 03, 2018 by Julian Swanson

SpaceX via Twitter

South Korean Ministry of Education, Science and Technology also confirmed that the launch of their new satellite, which, among other cargo, is expected to be sent to orbit by Falcon 9 launch vehicle, was postponed. The launch has been postponed three times - once to accommodate additional pre-flight inspections, another time due to weather, and on Sunday to "conduct additional inspections of the second stage, according to SpaceX".

A SpaceX rocket launch lights up the sky above San Diego.

"Eight of the satellites on board a Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Air Force Base will be from companies hoping to build a truly global Internet of Things by revolutionizing satellite communications", Wired reported. The launch is now postponed until at least December 3 for "additional inspections". Minutes after launch, it touched down on a drone ship stationed out in the Pacific Ocean, christened "Just Read the Instructions".

Over the next few hours, 64 satellites are to be deployed from the Falcon 9's upper stage and from two free-flying spacecraft designed by Spaceflight.

'It includes 15 microsats and 49 cubesats from both commercial and government entities, of which more than 25 are from worldwide organizations from 17 countries, including the United States, Australia, Italy, Netherlands, Finland, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, UK, Germany, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Poland, Canada, Brazil and India, " according to Spaceflight Industries. That will make it the largest single collection of spacecraft to launch from the US.

Reusing rockets over and over is key to Elon Musk's vision of cheaper, more rapid launches to orbit.

While SpaceX webcast hosts and company engineers Laura Lyons and Kate Tice didn't specifically mention the possibility, it's very likely that - should post-recovery inspections uncover no major surprises - Falcon 9 B1046's successful third launch and landing could pave the way for a future of 4, 5, 6, or more launches as 2018 comes to a close and 2019 nears the horizon.

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